As you may have noticed, we’ve resurrected a scoring scale for our gaming reviews. For a long time we firmly planted ourselves on the side of our words should speak louder than a number slapped onto the end of our write-ups. In a way, we still believe that. We don’t pen these elaborate reviews for our health. But we’re trying to find a happy middle ground, one that gives a richer impression of our time with a game by providing both a score and great perspective.
We’re trying to bring the gaming world back to “normal” with our score guide. We will not operate in the land of “if it’s less than an 8, it must be crap.” You’ll find only whole numbers below that are connected to a specific frame of reference.
If you’ve clicked out of a review and into this guide, find the digit you have in mind and you’ll see that it lines up with the games to which it is applied.
We here at CraveOnline firmly believe that no single game will ever be perfect. We recognize that each project can potentially be greater than the sum of its parts. Games that receive a 10 serve as some of the best experiences we’ve ever had. Their flaws are few and far between, and everything they do right will stand as a pillar for the future of games in general.
In our eyes, a 9 falls several steps short of being a masterpiece. It still represents one of our favorite gaming experiences, but there are one or two major problems. These titles still come highly recommended.
8s are pure fun. They may lack in areas like immersion, story, value or production, but they remain a blast to play. You’ll be able to ignore this project’s faults and power through with a smile on your face.
Its hang-ups will break you out of the gaming experience, but you probably won’t regret the purchase overall. Perhaps difficulty isn’t ramped properly, or voice acting is laughable enough to rip you out of the story. The good news is you’ll buy into this game knowing that you will get your money’s worth… but not without a few frustrations.
A game that falls into this category is teetering on the edge of being a fun experience or one that makes you want to pull your hair out. On a fundamental level, 6s are playable, but you might not come away from the titles with remaining enthusiasm.
We’ve entered the land of pure mediocrity with these games. Its merits are few and far between, and they are typically on the verge of being overwhelmed by its poor qualities. You’ll want to think long and hard about your purchase before you ante up the cash for one of our 5s.
We like to label 4s as the “Icarus” of our scoring scale. They had great aspirations, but the titles flew too close to the sun and got burnt. What’s left are games that feature a lot of gaping faults that make the experiences hard ones to enjoy.
We had hope for these titles. We gave them a shot, but all our suspicions were confirmed: this is just not a good game no matter which way you slice it. For example, gameplay might be broken or the story might put you to sleep. These titles have no real redeeming qualities.
We probably only picked this one up because of the licensed property it was tied to. It’s as bad as we thought it would be, maybe even worse. It’s likely glitchy, unrefined and an absolute chore to play. Return it.
Avoid at all costs. This game was a mistake. You should not even consider owning this, no matter how cheap or free it is. You should return this to the person who bought it for you and force them to play it. It’s only just.
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